Southern Tier Braces for a Multiday Winter Storm

March may have rolled in like a lamb, but the lion is roaring now as we brace for a multiday winter storm that could bring widespread power outages by the time the storm is over on Wednesday.

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The National Weather Service in Binghamton has issued a Winter Storm Warning from 6:00 p.m. Monday until 8:00 a.m. Wednesday morning for Northern Oneida, Onondaga, Madison, Southern Oneida, Cortland, Chenango, Otsego, Broome, Delaware, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Northern Wayne, Pike, and Southern Wayne counties.

The National Weather Service warns that residents should brace for very heavy snow with wind gusts as high as 40 miles an hour on Tuesday with a very good chance that final storm totals will be somewhere between 12 and 18 inches of snow for most of the Southern Tier.

With heavy snow and high winds, power outages are expected and the National Weather Service also warns that travel could be “very difficult to impossible.”

WBNG reports that pinpointing exact snowfall totals is still tricky but predicts that the Southern Tier area will see 6 to 9 inches of snow in Tioga and Tompkins Counties and between 8 and 14 inches of snow in other local counties.

Weather Channel is predicting totals that line up with both the National Weather Service and WNBG - around 8 to 14 inches of snow by the time the storm ends on Wednesday.

Wunderground is predicting lesser amounts than other sources saying it's more likely Binghamton will see a total of around five inches of snow with an 82 percent chance for 1.7 inches on Monday and 2.3 inches of snow on Tuesday.

SEE ALSO: Southern Tier Closings and Delays

Although snowfall totals vary depending on the weather source, all sources agree that the highest snowfall will land on the higher elevations that are along and east of Interstate 81 as well as in the Catskills.

READ: Winter Storm Watch vs. Winter Storm Warning: What’s the Difference?

Keep in mind that with heavy snow often comes power outages and with this storm, the bulk of the heavy snow will come during the overnight hours at a rate of one to two inches of snowfall per hour which will greatly impact travel and visibility.

If you need to travel in this storm, make sure that you keep extra food and water in your vehicle as well as a working flashlight, and some blankets.